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Like creditors closing in as the tide goes out, HSBC bankruptcy petitions against Barclay brothers Aidan and Howard mark a sharp new turn in the unravelling of one of Britain’s most storied business dynasties.

HSBC has moved to recover more than £140 million, filing bankruptcy petitions in the High Court against Aidan Barclay, 69, and Howard Barclay, 66, just days before Christmas. The action stems from debts linked to the collapse of the family’s parcel delivery venture.

From Boardroom Titans to Personal Liability

The decision to pursue the brothers personally underscores a growing escalation by lenders as the Barclay empire continues to fracture. The downfall traces back to 2023, when Lloyds Bank seized The Telegraph and The Spectator over unpaid loans, a moment that signaled the beginning of the end for the family’s control over its far-reaching holdings.

At their peak, the Barclays presided over a sprawling portfolio spanning media, hotels, retail, property and logistics. But heavy reliance on borrowing left the empire exposed, and successive lenders have since stripped the family of most of its prized assets.

HSBC’s Heavy Losses From Logistics Collapse

HSBC is now attempting to limit the damage from the 2024 collapse of Logistics Group, the parent company of Yodel and Arrow XL. According to a report filed at Companies House by insolvency specialists Teneo, the bank has recovered only £1.1 million of the £143.5 million owed — roughly 0.78 pence in the pound — after administrators were called in.

The bankruptcy proceedings are not believed to affect The Telegraph, as the Barclays no longer hold an economic stake in the newspaper.

Telegraph Sale and Government Roadblocks

The family sold its interest in The Telegraph to RedBird IMI, a consortium majority-funded by the United Arab Emirates. However, the takeover ultimately collapsed after the UK government introduced new laws barring state ownership of British newspapers.

Those same Gulf backers are now pursuing the Barclays themselves. International Media Investments, which financed RedBird IMI, seized control of the family’s property arm, Trenport Property Holdings, last month after helping clear debts owed to Lloyds in 2023.

Meanwhile, The Daily Mail has lodged a £500 million bid for The Telegraph, a proposal currently under review by Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy.

Assets Sold, Empire Dismantled

Mounting debt pressures forced the Barclays to relinquish Yodel in 2024, selling the parcel firm for just £1. They also sold The Spectator’s headquarters to a Bavarian rubber glove tycoon and parted with their luxury super-yacht, Lady Beatrice, named after their late mother.

The family has also lost control of Very Group, the online retailer behind the Littlewoods brand. In November, US private equity firm Carlyle took over the company — long viewed as the crown jewel of the Barclay empire — after propping it up with high-interest loans over the past year.

Very was created two decades ago through the merger of Littlewoods and Shop Direct, overseen by Aidan and Howard’s father Sir David Barclay and his twin brother Sir Frederick.

Financial Black Hole and Scrutiny Mounts

The dismantling of the family’s interests has raised fresh questions about management and oversight. In 2024, The Telegraph disclosed a £278 million gap in its finances, attributed to loans taken out by the Barclays and deemed unrecoverable.

That sum, recorded as a provision in 2023 accounts, pushed the paper to a record £245 million loss for the year. Efforts to trace the missing funds through a web of Barclay-controlled companies have so far failed.

Specialists from HM Revenue & Customs and the National Crime Agency — which coordinates financial intelligence with bodies including the Serious Fraud Office — have been in contact with the company and its advisers. It has not been confirmed whether formal investigations are under way.

Old Allegations Resurface

During the Barclays’ ownership, The Telegraph was accused of soft-pedaling negative coverage of HSBC. In 2015, columnist Peter Oborne resigned as chief political commentator, saying his reporting on the bank had been blocked and alleging a “collapse in standards” after the brothers acquired the paper in 2004.

Both the Barclays and HSBC declined to comment on the latest bankruptcy filings.

As the legal noose tightens, the HSBC bankruptcy petitions against Barclay brothers stand as a stark symbol of how swiftly a towering empire can crumble when debt comes calling.